The Ogun State Police Command has once again summoned nine Ijebu Ode kingmakers over allegations of bribery and financial inducement linked to the selection of a new Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebu land.
The kingmakers are to appear at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, on Monday and Tuesday next week, according to a senior police source who confirmed the development yesterday, reports Saturday Guardian.
“The nine kingmakers have been told to report at the police command headquarters at Eleweran on Monday and Tuesday. The invitation is still in respect of allegations of financial inducement,” the source said.
One of the kingmakers, Chief Abimbola Okenla, the Kakanfo of Ijebu land, also confirmed the invitation, noting that four of them are expected on Monday, while the remaining five will appear on Tuesday.
Expressing dissatisfaction, Okenla described the repeated summons as a distraction. “None of us is happy with these frequent invitations over unfounded allegations. The people of Ijebu land are not happy either. We are pleading with Governor Dapo Abiodun to allow us complete the process of selecting the next Awujale without further delay,” he said.
Similarly, the head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and former ICAN President, Alhaji Abdulateef Owoyemi, said he had heard about the invitation but could not confirm its authenticity. He urged the state government to allow the emergence of a new monarch without further delay.
“What the Ijebu people want is a new Awujale who will build on the enduring legacy of our late revered monarch, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona,” he said.
A copy of the police invitation dated April 17, 2026, and addressed to one of the kingmakers, Chief Adebisi Adaran (Gbeden), was signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the SCID, Gbenga Adeoye.
The letter described the invitation as part of an ongoing investigation and urged the recipient to appear before the Commissioner of Police for an interview. It cited relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Police Act 2020, noting that the invitation is for fact-finding and that the invitee is free to attend with a lawyer.
The latest development follows a similar invitation issued to the kingmakers in February over the same allegations, which was later discontinued after intervention by authorities.
The selection process for a new Awujale has faced repeated setbacks. In January, the Ogun State Government suspended the process, citing a flood of petitions from stakeholders and security agencies.
A similar halt had earlier been announced in December 2025 over procedural concerns.
The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona at the age of 91 after 65 years on the throne.
Before the process was suspended, 95 aspirants—94 princes and one princess—from the Fusengbuwa Ruling House had emerged during a nomination exercise in Ijebu-Ode.
